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Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is
a technique that allows for radiation doses to be delivered to very complex
shapes or to tumors with nearby normal structures. The best results with IMRT
have been obtained in prostate cancer and head & neck cancers. IMRT has
great potential to improve local control in mesothelioma, especially since
there is now data from Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center to
suggest that "conventional" radiation techniques can reduce local
recurrence by about 50%
High doses of radiation have been proven to kill cancer cells and to shrink
tumors. IMRT uses x-rays of varying intensities along with computer generated
images to plan and deliver highly targeted radiation directly to cancer cells
while significantly reducing the amount of radiation to surrounding healthy
tissue. This technique is the most precise form of radiation therapy available
today, and can increase the rate of tumor control by conforming to the shape of
the tumor while minimizing adverse side effects. Because of its extreme
accuracy, tumors which were formerly considered untreatable because of their
proximity to vital organs can now be controlled.
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